View from the lower viewing window (also the former bear viewing window!). The Snow Leopard cave was formerly the Bear cave. I've always loved how Melbourne converted the former bear exhibit into one for snow leopards. Ingenious to say the least.
@Jambo It’s a stunning exhibit. The ledges are surely a favourite of these cats. I can’t wait to see Wellington’s exhibit - I’m sure it will be equally as spectacular.
@DelacoursLangur It’s easily the highlight of the Carnivores precinct. I really like how Melbourne Zoo has dedicated facilities to housing multiple Snow leopards, which allows them to participate in the breeding programme. They have 1.2 adults (including the breeding pair), which are all kept seperate and also held 0.2 offspring from the last litter for three years until Wellington could receive them.
@DelacoursLangur Interestingly this used to be their bear enclosure too! I'm amazed at how they've managed to successfully renovate it to be potentially one of the best snow leopard exhibits worldwide.
@Jambo Wellington’s current Snow leopard exhibit began life as three bear exhibits built in the early 1900’s. By 1992 when the sun bears arrived, exhibit standards had evolved to the point where it was considered appropriate to combine two of the bear pits into one to give the sun bears a larger exhibit; and the third later became the maternity annex. When they built the Snow leopard exhibit, they took up the space of both the exhibit and the annex. An interesting insight into how far exhibit standards have progressed!
